Xavier :The tale of the broken

03. The meeting

Rain pounded the street like a warning from the heavens.

The man at the end of the alley didn’t move fast enough.

My fist connected with his jaw before the words even left his mouth.

Bone met bone.

He crumpled against the brick wall, groaning, blood mixing with rainwater at his feet. The sound lingered longer than it should have.

He had tried to rob me thought I was an easy target.

He was wrong.

I stood over him for a moment, chest rising slowly, rain soaking through my shirt, dripping down my face like it was trying to

wash something away.

It didn’t.

I flexed my hand once, watching the blood mix with rain across my knuckles before turning away.

The city didn’t care.

Cars passed.

Lights flickered.

Life moved on like nothing had happened maybe that was the problem. People didn't care they minded their businesses nonchalant as ever .

The apartment was quiet when I got back.

The kind of silence that didn’t comfort it pressed.

I dropped my keys on the table. The sound echoed slightly, then disappeared.

l had no messages,no calls.

Nothing .

I walked toward the window and looked down at the street below. People moved in clusters, laughter drifting faintly upward, distant and disconnected.

Normal.

I didn’t feel part of it anymore.

Not after everything.

Not after them.

My jaw tightened even the thought of their names made me angry but … different . Less pain.

More clarity.

I turned away from the window and grabbed a glass, pouring a drink without thinking.

The burn came slow this time.

I let it sit.

Didn’t rush it.

For once, I wasn’t trying to drown anything.

I was just… thinking.

The knock came later.

Sharp.

I didn’t move immediately.

Just listened.

One knock.

Then silence.

Whoever it was they knew I would open.

Eventually.

I walked to the door, slow, deliberate. My hand hovered near the handle for a second longer than necessary before I pulled it open.

Diego stood there.

Unsmiling.

Watching.

“You took your time,” he said.

“I didn’t invite you,” I replied.He didn’t react nor step back.

“Walk with me.”

It wasn’t a request.

I held his gaze for a moment, weighing it.

Then stepped aside just enough to grab my coat before closing the door behind me.

We walked in silence at first.

The rain had eased into a drizzle, the streets reflecting neon lights in broken patterns beneath our feet.

“Why me?” I asked eventually.

Diego didn’t look at me.

“You adapt quickly,” he said.

“That’s not a strong answer.”

“It’s enough of one.”

I let the silence return.

But my mind didn’t.

It was already moving connecting things, questioning motives, reading between words. After what he said last night about me reacting like someone.

But l would not ask him yet .

He wasn’t here by accident and neither was I.

A car waited at the corner.

Black ,engine running doors locked .

Diego opened the back seat without hesitation.

I paused for half a second.

Then got in.

The drive was quiet.

There was no music no unnecessary conversation.

Streetlights passed in intervals, casting shadows across the interior before disappearing again.

I watched them.

Counted them without meaning to.

Trying to understand where this was going.

Trying to understand why I wasn’t stopping it where was the timid Xavier ..?

When we finally arrived, the building didn’t stand out.

That was the first thing I noticed.

No signs and noise.

Nothing that made it memorable.

Which made it perfect.Diego stepped out.

I followed.

Inside, the air changed it was much heavier.

Like stepping into a place where things happened… but were never spoken about.

We walked down a narrow corridor, footsteps muted against the floor.

A door waited at the end of the corridor.

Diego stopped in front of it, then glanced at me briefly.

Then he opened it a man sat inside still watching me.

The room didn’t need to be large.His presence filled it anyway.

I didn’t speak immediately.

Didn’t move beyond the doorway.

Something about him demanded that pause.

That acknowledgment.

“Come in,” he said calmly.

I stepped forward.

The door closed behind me with a soft click.

Final.

His eyes didn’t leave me.

Not for a second.

“You’re different,” he said.

As much as l wanted to say thank you back something told me it was not a compliment. He was observing me

“I’ve been told that.” l replied sternly with lack of excitement

“Do you know why you’re here?”

I shook my head once.

“Because you didn’t break,” he said.

The words settled slowly.

“Most do but you didn’t.”

I held his gaze and listened closely.

He leaned back slightly.

Studying me again .

“Tell me,” he continued, voice even, “what do you want?”

The question should’ve been simple.

It wasn’t.

lmages flashed Liam...Lenny. The betrayal and anger.

Something else replaced them quieter .Clearer

“Control,” I said.

The word felt right.

Not forced.

Not emotional.

Just… true.

A faint smile touched his lips.

Approval.

“Good,” he said.

“Because revenge fades...control doesn’t.”

We looked at me one last time before speaking again

"Good. There is a shipment arriving tomorrow from Hamburg. You will ensure it reaches our safe house safely. Diego will monitor the situation with backup."

A test l thought ...

"Am I going in alone?"

"Not entirely. A few men will accompany you." His tone turned colder. "But the responsibility will be yours." I stood.

"Understood." Diego inclined his head. "Da, Pakhan."

Pakhan ..?So that was what they called him

The following day came faster than l expected it ..then again l was nervous about today .

After the location was known we left immediately.

The docks were quiet when we arrived.

A massive cargo ship loomed against the dark sky. One of the men jogged toward the ship to collect the parcel. lt was raining .

Rain dripped from my hair into my eyes. Something felt off.

He reappeared minutes later carrying two black briefcases. He didn't reach the car. A suppressed shot sliced through the night. His body jerked. Then he dropped face-first onto the wet concrete. For half a second, everything froze. Then chaos erupted.

"Ambush!" someone shouted. Bullets shattered the silence. Windows exploded. Sparks flew from metal. Another mafia group.

They wanted the shipment.

I moved fast, ducking low behind the car door as bullets tore through the glass.

Shards rained down around me.One bullet grazed my cheek. Warm blood trickled down. Good. Pain meant I was alive ,scared but I lunged forward, grabbed the two briefcases, and slid into the driver's seat.

The engine roared as I slammed my foot down. Headlights appeared behind me. Two cars. They weren't giving up. Left turn. Hard right. Another sharp corner. The city blurred past in streaks of neon and rain.

"take another route ..l will send it to your GPS now "Diego spoke through my earpiece. l hesitated

"those weren't Pakhan’s orders " l said back

"change of plans Pakhan’s orders....it's the safest "

l had no choice so l listened for a minute it seemed l had lost them .

Gunshots cracked behind me they had found me a bullet slammed into the rear windshield.

I exhaled slowly ,I reached for the pistol Diego had given me silencer attached. Another car pulled up beside me.

The driver leaned out with a weapon. I fired once. His windshield exploded. The car swerved violently and crashed into a pole. One left. My arm burned I'd been hit. Blood soaked into my sleeve. I didn't slow down.

I waited for the right moment.The pursuing car edged closer. I steadied my breathing, leaned out slightly, and pulled the trigger.

The driver's head snapped back.

The vehicle lost control and flipped onto its side.Silence returned and so did my pulse .l drove straight to the coordinates on the GPS. The safe house was hidden behind an abandoned industrial building.

Diego leaned casually against a black Mercedes SUV, flipping a knife between his fingers.He smirked when he saw me step out of the car.

"You're not dead."

"You won't get rid of me that easily."His smirk widened.

"We thought you were finished when you disappeared from our sight."

"I was shaking them off."

He glanced at the briefcases.

"The parcel?"

"Safe."

I handed them over.He opened one slightly and whistled.

"Do you know what you were carrying?"

"Drugs."

"Worth one billion."

For a split second, shock flickered through me.

One billion.But I buried it. My face remained cold. He studied me "Interesting."

"Pakhan will be impressed maybe decide to take you under his wing." He left exhaustion hit me like a wave. I just wanted a shower and my whiskeys.

Something felt wrong the moment I stepped inside the door . An envelope sat on the table .Stacks of fresh bills payment and a contract. Already signed by Pakhan.